Taylor Swift's latest release shows a different side than her previous work. / Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Written by

Kate Schlabaugh

Contributing Writer

Rating: 4/5

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Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album Red, released last Monday, Oct. 22, is spreading like wildfire, earning Swift the opportunity to be the first act in over a decade to release back-to-back studio albums that sold over a million copies in their first week.

By now, it is clear that Swift is no stranger to heartbreak, and she is definitely not afraid to sing about it. Just like Swift’s three former albums, Red tells stories of love found and lost, but this time with a twist. Swift takes a departure from her country roots when she teams up with Swedish producer and songwriter Max Martin on three of the tracks.

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” released as a single a few weeks before the album’s entirety, was an instant radio hit. As will most likely be the case with “22,” an overly peppy pop track about dancing and forgetting deadlines and heart break for a night. “I Knew You Were Trouble,” the last of the Martin-inspired tracks is also the most pleasantly surprising on the album; it's infused with a dose of dubstep. Who knew Taylor Swift could bring the bass?

Collaborating with Max Martin was definitely not a bad idea, as far as radio airtime is concerned. But Martin’s one-size-fits-all pop influence quickly dilutes Swift’s usual lyrical authenticity. Far better suited instead are the two duets on the album, “The Last Time” and “Everything Has Changed.” Swift worked with Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody and English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, respectively, to produce two tracks that are both musically and lyrically sound.

The rest of the album plays in typical Swift fashion—borderline corny verses, powerful choruses and an overall sound fit for an amphitheater. The album begins with a banger, “State of Grace,” followed by “Red,” one long series of elementary similes somehow strung together in a way that just works.

It wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift album without a few slow love ballads. “Treacherous,” “All Too Well,” “I Almost Do,” “Sad Beautiful Tragic” and the album-closing “Begin Again” are all well-made, polished versions of the Swift classics, “Tim Mcgraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar.”

Overall, Taylor Swift succeeded in providing a solid follow-up to 2010’s Speak Now. Red experiments with new sounds and collaborates with other artists, all while solidifying Swift’s beyond impressive songwriting capabilities.